‘It’s expensive to buy,’ Pacquiao said after shopping in Guadalupe, handing out a tip

While shopping, Pacquiao pays too much to each shopkeeper. There is an extra P1,000-2,000 pesos in addition to the purchase price.

Prᥱsidᥱntiαl aspirant Manny Pacquiao gave an additional P1,000 to P2,000 or allegedly a tip while shopping at the Guadalupe Public Market in Makati on Wednesday morning.

“P1,440? All right, that’s 3,000, ”the Senator replied to one of the vendors.

The sellers were pleased with this especially since they said that sales are slowing down now.

“I’m happy because we were sold, is it because of the tumal now? It’s hard to sell now so I’m very happy that we bought our product, ”said Josephine Galatde, fishmonger.

“It doesn’t matter how many years I bought him. I’m thankful that sir Pacquiao somehow bought it from me. He somehow overpaid him,” added Dante Abalos, also a fishmonger.

Pacquiao carries their shopping list, which includes chicken, fish, beef, and vegetables. He said their family’s weekly market day is Wednesday.

Instead of their housemates going to the market, he decided to go to see the price of the goods.

This is not new to him because he was used to the market when he was young, the senator added.

According to the senator, the goods have become more expensive since he first visited the Guadalupe market about 2 years ago.

“It’s high, it’s high, then our wages are not rising. There has been no wage increase since then. But the increase in prices is so severe that people cannot keep up, ”he said.

The retired boxer admitted that he did not expect the price of goods to be like this.

He demanded that the price of basic commodities be lowered.

“It’s expensive. The goods are expensive now. It will be difficult for our countrymen to buy. So our goal is to lower the price of goods, especially basic commodities,” he said.

The senator did not answer when asked by the media what his plan was to lower the price of the commodity or stop it from rising.

Pacquiao was also not deterred from being beaten by marketers and shoppers, especially those who wanted to take selfies. Someone also photographed him with a child.

The retired boxer did not do so despite media questioning on the issue of physical distancing.

“It’s really crowded in the market. I’m used to it because I’m used to the market,” he said.

There were those who enjoyed the senator’s visit to the market even though he didn’t usually do it.

“We are proud that he came to our place so that the rest of our countrymen can meet him,” said customer Brenda Foncarbas.

After leaving the market, Pacquiao visited the office of a nearby radio station before sailing to Bulacan for other activities.